Are there guidelines or incentives for high-quality Baukultur?

A new era in the Val Bavona began in the 1950s. To build hydropower plants at the far end of the valley, a road became necessary. This opened up new possibilities and brought new materials into the area. At the same time, fewer and fewer people worked in the traditional agricultural sector – meadows, fields and forests became overgrown. In the 1970s, to halt this change, the two municipalities of Bignasco and Cavergno began to think about a zoning plan for the valley. In 1984 it was presented and approved. This was followed in 1990 by the establishment of the Fondazione Valle Bavona, whose purpose is to preserve the built, natural and agricultural heritage of the valley while also keeping it alive for its seasonal inhabitants.

Does the place adapt while at the same time preserving its built heritage?

Vertical cliff faces and huge boulders characterise the landscape of the Val Bavona, a side valley of the upper Maggia Valley. For centuries, people shaped the inhospitable region and wrestled the utmost from the barren soil. They planted chestnut forests, created shelters beneath large rocks, alpine pastures and twelve hamlets on the valley floor, which they continue to inhabit in the summer months. The cultural landscape they created is a unique heritage that is in danger of disappearing, and the Fondazione Valle Bavona seeks to preserve it.

Is the place distinguished by durable construction and little need for maintenance?

Pastoral animal husbandry – transhumance – has been practised here for centuries. The valley, its historic buildings and the landscape still bear witness to this today. The skill of the Bavonesi is to find a simple built solution for all the requirements of daily life and thus to use the available space sparingly. In 1983, the valley was included in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of National Importance.

Are the construction materials and methods durable, require little maintenance, and maintain or even enhance the place’s value?

The typical homes of the Val Bavona can be admired today in Roseto or in other hamlets such as Mondada or Sabbione. These buildings have a rectangular floor plan and are built of thick dry-stone walls. Each simple and functional dwelling has one or two rooms on the ground floor and again on the upper floor and is roofed with stone slabs. A characteristic feature is the loggia on the long side, where grain and fruit are dried.

Does the place ensure equality, freedom, safety and a reliable means of existence?

Even centuries ago, the deprivation of farmland and the increased risk of landslides and avalanches lead the population to retreat to Bignasco and Cavergno during the winter months. A complex transhumance begins for people and animals alike: from March to November, family members spread out across the area, each with a very specific task. They adapt to nature. Today, the stone houses are used only in the summer, as secondary residences.

Do the green spaces enhance the quality of the place?

Along the narrow valley floor are twelve hamlets surrounded by extensive chestnut forests. By contrast, farmland is sparse. The inhabitants make use of the large boulders in the valley by encircling them with stone walls and covering them with earth. This creates unique rock gardens for growing vegetables. The Bavonesi have been wresting green spaces from the barren nature in this way for centuries.

Does the place foster connectedness with nature and the landscape?

The valley floor stretches for around 10 kilometres between craggy cliff walls and is littered with colossal boulders and wide scree-filled slopes, earning it the reputation as the steepest and stoniest valley in Switzerland. It runs northwest from its lowest point in Cavergno at 450 metres above sea level to the summit of Basòdino at 3272 metres above sea level. It is a pristine valley – wonderful for hiking or to retreat from everyday life.

Does the place have an atmospheric impact on the beholder?

The Bavona Valley is a wildly romantic place that defies mass tourism. There are only a few places where tourists can stay overnight, and even online platforms rarely offer a flat or cottage for rent. The pristine nature and human-shaped landscape is unique in its kind for Switzerland. Its path between preservation and adaptation is exemplary.